Garment

ABSTRACT

A garment for the torso of a person comprises a lower edge extending around the person when the garment is being worn; the garment further comprising a pocket in which the garment may be stowed, the pocket being disposed in a portion of the garment adjacent the lower edge of the garment.

The present invention relates to a garment, in particular a garment forthe upper torso of a person, being adaptable between a first arrangementfor being worn and a second arrangement for being carried or stored.

Conventionally, garments are not provided with any specific means fortransporting or carrying them, or for storing them when not in use. Thiscan present a problem with carrying certain garments. One example isbeachwear, that is a garment that is used by a person when attending abeach or other similar location, such as a swimming pool or the like.Generally, such garments must be worn or carried to the beach or otherlocation. A particular problem arises when the garment is damp or wet,for example after beach activities have been completed. While thegarment cannot be worn, it must still be carried.

WO 99/60884 discloses a towel, which may be transformed into a bag,either before or after use. The towel comprises a pocket into which thetowel may be folded or stowed in a compact form. A strap is provided toaid in carrying the thus stowed towel, for example over a person'sshoulder or across their back.

Similarly, WO 03/103462 discloses a pocketed beach towel with a pillowand straps. The towel may be folded or stowed in a pocket and carried bymeans of the strap.

It is known to provide garments for the upper torso with hoods, wherebythe garment may be stowed in the hood of the garment in a compressedform. Such a design of garment is known in particular for waterproofclothing. It also known to provide such garments with a pocket on thefront of the garment, which may be used to store or carry items, such aswith a conventional pocket, as well as providing a receptacle for thegarment to be stowed in a compact form.

There is a need for an improved design of garment, which may stowed in acompact form and easily carried, with the means for such storage andcarrying not affecting the general use of the garment.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a garmentfor the torso of a person, the garment comprising a lower edge extendingaround the person when the garment is being worn; the garment furthercomprising a pocket in which the garment may be stowed, the pocket beingdisposed in a portion of the garment adjacent the lower edge of thegarment.

The garment is for wearing on the torso of a person and may extend tothe waist or below the waist of the user. In one preferred embodiment,the garment extends over the legs of the wearer to either above or belowthe knees. The lower edge of the garment is that edge of the garment,typically incorporating a hem or such other finishing, that, when thegarment is being worn, extends around the waist, hips or legs of theperson, depending upon the length of the garment in relation to thewearer. The length of the garment is not an essential aspect of thepresent invention and it may be of any suitable or desired length.

The garment is provided with the pocket adjacent its lower edge, intowhich the garment may be packed and stored. The pocket may have itsopening in any convenient location. In a preferred embodiment, theopening of the pocket is disposed along an edge of the pocket adjacentthe lower edge of the garment.

The pocket may be disposed on either the exterior or the interior of thegarment, with the interior being a preferred location, so the pocket isnot visible during normal use of the garment. The terms ‘exterior’ and‘interior’ are to be taken as references to the garment when arranged inthe normal orientation for use, that is ‘right side out’ as opposed to‘inside out’. The garment may be reversible, such that it may be wornwith either of its surfaces outermost. In this case, the pocket isdisposed on the interior of the garment when worn in one orientation andon the exterior of the garment when in the other orientation.

If the pocket and/or the garment is arranged such that the pocket may beon the exterior of the garment when being worn, the pocket may be made afeature of the design of the garment.

The pocket may be disposed at any suitable position along the lower edgeof the garment. Typically, the garment will have one orientation whenbeing worn, with a first panel intended for the front of the garment anda second panel intended for the rear of the garment. In one preferredembodiment, the pocket is disposed so as to be at the rear of thegarment, when the garment is in normal use. The garment may be of thetype that may be worn with either the first or the second panel to thefront or to the rear. In such a case, the pocket will feature at thefront or the rear of the garment, depending upon how the garment isbeing worn.

The pocket may be removable from the garment. However, the pocket ispreferably formed as an integral part of the garment. A preferred formof the pocket is a portion of fabric stitched or otherwise fastened tothe fabric of the garment. In one preferred arrangement, the pocket is asquare or rectangular portion of fabric stitched to the fabric of thegarment along three of its four sides, with one side, preferably theside adjacent the lower edge of the garment, being without stitching, toprovide an opening for the pocket.

The opening of the pocket may comprise a means for sealing the pocket,such as one or more fasteners, for example buttons, studs or a zipfastener. Alternatively, the pocket may comprise a draw string extendingaround the opening of the pocket, which may be used to close opening ina manner known in the art. A suitable device for releasably locking thedraw string to keep the opening closed may be provided. Suitable lockingdevices are also known in the art and are commercially available.

The interior of the pocket, that is the inside of the pocket when thegarment is being worn, may be of a material and/or finished to eithermatch the exterior of the garment or to contrast with the garment,according to the user's preference. The pocket is preferably lined witha suitable material. In one embodiment, the pocket is lined with afabric the same as or to match or coordinate with the exterior fabric ofthe garment.

The pocket may comprise or incorporate a waterproof material or betreated in order to render the pocket water resistant or waterproof.Suitable materials or treatments for the pocket are known in the art andare commercially available.

In one preferred embodiment, the pocket is arranged in the garment suchthat the pocket is reversed, that is turned ‘inside out’, in order toaccommodate the garment when packed into the pocket.

The garment is preferably provided with a means for carrying, when thegarment is packed into the pocket. For example, the pocket may beprovided with one or more straps or handles on its surface that isnormally exterior when the garment is packed into the pocket. In onepreferred embodiment, the garment is provided with one or more cords orthe like, which may be employed as shoulder straps, in order to carrythe garment in the pocket in the form of a back pack or rucksack.

The garment may be provided with a hood. The hood, if present, may beformed of or otherwise treated so as to be waterproof. The garment maybe with or without sleeves. If present, the sleeves may be long orshort, as desired by the wearer. The hood and/or sleeves, if present,may be detachable, in which case the pocket may be used to store thehood and/or sleeves when not in use.

The size of the pocket will be determined by the size of the garment andthe use to be made of the garment. The pocket may be of a sizesufficient to accommodate the remainder of the garment. Alternatively,the pocket may be of a larger size, such that one or more other itemsmay also be stowed in the pocket, together with the garment.

In addition, in embodiments where the pocket waterproof or waterresistant, it is advantageous if the pocket is sufficiently large toalso provide a waterproof seat portion, allowing the user or wearer tobe seated with the pocket disposed on the seat beneath them.

In one particularly preferred embodiment, the garment is made from amaterial for use on a beach or by a swimming pool or the like, inparticular an absorbent material, especially a toweling material.Suitable absorbent and toweling materials are widely availablecommercially and well known in the art of beach wear and pool wear.

As noted above, the pocket of the garment may comprise a waterproofmaterial, such as a waterproof lining. It has been found that theprovision of a waterproof pocket provides particular advantages. Thewaterproof pocket serves to keep moisture from wet and damp items in thepocket from leaving the pocket. Alternatively, the waterproof pocketkeeps items in the pocket, such as the garment when stowed, dry. Inaddition, it has been found that the provision of a waterproof pocket isadvantageous when the garment is being worn by a person who is damp orwet, for example wearing the garment over damp or wet clothing, such asa swimming costume, wetsuit or the like. The waterproof pocket whendisposed in the rear of the garment provides a seat on which the personcan sit while wearing the garment, without causing moisture to pass ontothe fabric of seats, chairs and the like.

Accordingly, in a further aspect, the present invention provides agarment for wearing on the torso of a person, the garment comprising arear panel disposed to extend over the back of the user when the garmentis in use, the rear panel comprising at least a portion which may serveas a seat and be disposed beneath the user while the garment is beingworn and the user is in a seated position, the said portion being waterresistant so as to prevent moisture passing through the said portion ofthe garment either to or from the user.

The seat portion of the garment to be disposed beneath the wearer whenseated is water resistant, most preferably water proof. The seat portionmay be a portion of the rear panel which has been treated to render itresistant to water or a panel of a suitable waterproof material that hasbeen let into the rear panel. Alternatively, the seat portion may beformed by applying a layer of water resistant or water proof materialonto one or both sides of the rear panel in the appropriate position. Itis preferred that the seat portion is formed by either a treatmentapplied to the inside of the rear panel or a panel of material appliedto the inside of the rear panel, the term ‘inside’ referring to thatside of the rear panel that is adjacent the body of the wearer when thegarment is being worn.

In the garment of the present invention, while the rear panel is waterresistant or water proof, the remainder of the garment is not resistantto the passage of water or moisture. In one preferred embodiment, theremainder of the garment is of an absorbent material, in particular atoweling material or the like. Such a toweling garment with thewaterproof or water resistant seat portion, most preferably disposed asor within the pocket, is particularly well suited for use by personsafter taking part in water sports.

Suitable materials for use in the seat portion of the garment andsuitable treatments are known in the art and commercially available. Onepreferred material is polytetrafluoroethylene-based (PTFE), commerciallyavailable under the trade mark Gore-Tex®.

As noted above, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the seat panelforms or is incorporated in a pocket formed in the garment, mostpreferably adjacent the rear lower edge of the garment when being worn.Details of the garment of this embodiment and the pocket are ashereinbefore described.

The seat portion may be removable from the garment.

The concept of the waterproof seat portion may also be applied to thehood of a garment. Accordingly, there is also provided a garment forwearing on the torso of a person, the garment comprising a hood, thehood being resistant to the passage of water through the material of thehood.

As noted previously, the remainder of the garment is not waterproof orwater resistant, preferably being formed from an absorbent material,especially a toweling material.

One preferred embodiment comprises both a water resistant hood and awater resistant seat portion.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way ofexample only, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a garment according to one embodiment ofthe first aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cut-away view of the garment of FIG. 1 showing thepocket of the garment;

FIG. 3 is a view of the garment of FIGS. 1 and 2 when stowed inside thepocket; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a garment according to one embodiment ofthe second aspect of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a garment, generally indicated as 2,intended to be worn over the torso of a user in conventional manner. Thegarment shown represented in FIG. 1 is for casual or beach-wear and isof a toweling material. It is to be understood that the garment may beof any suitable material, as dictated by the use to be made of thegarment or the wishes of the user or wearer.

The garment 2 comprises a body portion 4, having a front panel 6 and arear panel 8. The garment further comprises two sleeves 10, 12. Anopening 14 is provided in the garment to accommodate the head of thewearer and from which a hood 16 extends. The garment 2 is shown in FIG.1 in the orientation in which it is normally worn, with the opening 14and hood 16 uppermost. The garment 2 comprises a lower edge 18, finishedwith a conventional hem. When being worn, the lower edge 18 of thegarment typically extends around the upper legs or thighs of the wearer,depending upon the length of the garment relative to the height of thewearer.

The garment 2 comprises a pocket 20, shown by a dotted line in FIG. 1and in detail in FIG. 2. The pocket 20 is formed by a generallyrectangular panel 22 of fabric stitched to the interior surface of therear panel 8. The pocket 20 extends from the lower edge 18 and isprovided with an opening 24 adjacent the lower edge 18. The panel 22 ofthe pocket 20 is of the same fabric as the garment, such that thepatterned surface forming the exterior of the garment forms the interiorsurface of the pocket. In this way, when the pocket is reversed to stowthe garment, the patterned surface of the panel 22 forms the exterior ofthe pocket.

A pair of cords 26 and 28 (shown by dotted lines in FIG. 2) extendswithin the pocket, each cord having one end secured to a respectiveinner corner of the pocket and the other end to the fabric at arespective end of the opening 22. The cords 26, 28 also extend aroundthe opening 24 in the pocket 20, to provide a draw string 30 (also shownby a dotted line in FIGS. 2 and 3), which may be used to close theopening of the pocket

In use, the garment is stowed in the pocket by reversing the pocket,that is turning it ‘inside out’, and pushing or folding the garment intothe pocket 20. The thus stowed garment is shown in FIG. 3. The stowedgarment may be carried by means of the cords 26, 28 which may beadjustable in length to serve as hand grips or straps for the shouldersof the user.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a garment of the same generalconfiguration as the garment of FIG. 1. Accordingly, the components andfeatures common to the two garments have been identified using the samereference numerals and reference is made to the foregoing description inthis respect. The garment of FIG. 4 comprises a seat portion 120,indicated by a dotted line. The seat portion 120 is formed as a panel ofwaterproof material stitched to the inside of the rear panel 8. In use,the seat panel 120 may be disposed beneath the lower back, rump andthighs of a wearer when in the seated position. In this way, the seatpanel 120 prevents moisture passing either to or from the aforementionedparts of the wearer through the garment. Thus, the seat portion servesto protect the fabric of seats, chairs and the like from moisture fromdamp or wet garments being worn by the user beneath the garment.

1. A garment for the torso of a person, the garment comprising a loweredge extending around the person when the garment is being worn; thegarment further comprising a pocket in which the garment may be stowed,the pocket being disposed in a portion of the garment adjacent the loweredge of the garment.
 2. The garment according to claim 1, wherein thepocket comprises an opening extending adjacent the lower edge of thegarment.
 3. The garment according to either of claims 1 or 2, whereinthe pocket is disposed so as to be on interior of the garment when thegarment is in normal use.
 4. The garment according to any precedingclaim, wherein the pocket is disposed so as to be at the rear of thegarment, when the garment is in normal use.
 5. The garment according toany preceding claim, wherein the pocket is removable.
 6. The garmentaccording to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pocket is an integralpart of the garment.
 7. The garment according to claim 6, wherein thepocket is a panel of fabric fastened to the fabric of the garment. 8.The garment according to any preceding claim, further comprising meansfor closing or sealing the opening of the pocket.
 9. The garmentaccording to any preceding claim, wherein the pocket is lined.
 10. Thegarment according to any preceding claim, wherein the pocket comprises awater resistant or waterproof material.
 11. The garment according to anypreceding claim, wherein the pocket is arranged to be turned inside outin order to accommodate the garment.
 12. The garment according to anypreceding claim, further comprising means for carrying the garment whenstowed in the pocket.
 13. The garment according to claim 12, wherein themeans for carrying comprises one or more cords or straps disposed withinthe pocket, when the garment is not stowed in the pocket.
 14. A garmentfor wearing on the torso of a person, the garment comprising a rearpanel disposed to extend over the back of the user when the garment isin use, the rear panel comprising at least a portion which may serve asa seat and be disposed beneath the user while the garment is being wornand the user is in a seated position, the said portion being waterresistant so as to prevent moisture passing through the said portion ofthe garment either to or from the user.
 15. The garment according toclaim 14, wherein the seat portion forms or is incorporated in a pocketof the garment.
 16. A garment substantially as hereinbefore described,having reference to the FIGS. 1 to 3 or FIG. 4.